Teeth which are moved by conventional fixed orthodontic appliances have continual forces exerted on them by way of the arch wires, springs, elastic traction devices and/or head gear. This constant force is translated to the alveolar bone around the teeth. The pressure on the bone causes constriction of the blood vessels and acts to squeeze out the tissue fluid as the root of the tooth is approached.
Blood supply is necessary for orthodontic tooth movement. Histologically the osteoclasts are the cells responsible for bone resorption, and the osteoblasts are the cells responsible for rebuilding the bone. Pressure in the bone tissue causes the production of osteoclasts, and negative pressure or tension in the bone tissue causes the production of osteoblasts. In order for a tooth to move through the bone there must be osteolcastic cell activity to resorb the bone in the direction of tooth movement, and there must also be osteoblastic activity for new bone formation on the side of the tooth experiencing negative pressure or tension. The greater the blood supply to an area, the greater the osteoclastic and osteoblastic cellular activity.
In conventional fixed orthodontic therapy, the pressure applied to a tooth is translated to the immediately adjacent tissue and there is a reduction of blood supply to that area. This lack of blood supply causes necrosis of the bone on the pressure side. Blood vessels in adjacent areas which are far enough away from the tooth so that their blood flow is not cut off carry osteoclasts to the area to remove the necrostized bone, and this is called reverse resorption. The tooth then moves into the area where the necrotic bone was removed, and this causes the new area of high pressure, reduced blood flow and necrosis, which again must be removed by reverse resorption.
The aforesaid prior art method of orthodontic tooth movement is pathological and not physiological. The aforesaid method results in pain to the patient, relatively slow movement of the tooth, root resorption and irreversible horizontal bone loss. During orthodontic movement of the tooth by the aforesaid method, the tooth is not stable but is loosened to some degree, resulting in an unstable occlusion.
For optimal orthodontic movement the area in which the tooth is moving should have abundant blood supply. Blood carries the cellular elements for rapid, high concentration of osteoclasts. The greater the blood supply, the greater the cellular activity, and the faster the bone in the direct pressure area is resorbed and the faster the resorption by-products are removed. Also, increased blood supply increases the apposition of bone in the tension or negative pressure side of the tooth causing increased stability of the tooth during the movement.
To increase the blood supply to a pressure area and thereby reduce the ecsemia there must be a dissemination of pressure from the immediate bone in the root area to the adjacent bone and tissues. This will reduce the magnitude of pressure on the immediate bone, reduce vascular constriction due to pressure, and deliver to a larger tissue area pressure that are more optimal for high concentration of osteoclasts and osteoblasts.
Bone recontouring will then take place by a process of front face resorption in the bone immediately adjacent to the tooth being subjected to the orthodontic pressure. This is the most physiological method of bone resorption for tooth movements, and it also results in the fastest and most efficient movement of the tooth.
Under such conditions, there is no area of necrosis so that no pain sensation is evoked. When the direct pressure is light there is no root resorption or irreversible horizontal bone loss. The osteoclastic activity is accelerated as is the osteoblastic activity and consequently there is continual speedy apposition of new bone on the tension or negative pressure side of the tooth resulting in a more stable occlusion during tooth movement.
The pressure dissemination which results in the desirable results described in the preceding paragraph is achieved in accordance with the concepts of the present invention by providing a vibrating mouthpiece in the mouth of the patient which disseminates pressures that are being applied by conventional orthodontic appliances to a large bone mass, and this results in eliminating any area of reduced blood supply. Also, the forces that are now being applied to the roots of the teeth are no longer static, but are dynamic, which lead to a reduction of boney tissue resistance as the roots are now vibrated-through the boney tissue mass along paths of least resistance.